To Have Happy Guests, Casinos Must Look Inward; Happy Employees Create An Enjoyable Gaming Experience 
   
  All casinos want their guests to have an enjoyable experience at their property. Guests are more likely to have fun if the casino's employees also are having fun.

To Have Happy Guests, Casinos Must Look Inward;
Happy Employees Create An Enjoyable Gaming Experience

"One way to have happy employees is to roll out an incentive and recognition program," says Martin R. Baird, president of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest service consulting firm for the gaming industry. "Most people are thrilled when they are recognized and rewarded for doing a good job."

Baird offers the following five tips on the importance of happy employees and how to show them their hard work is appreciated.

Number 1: If employees have a poor attitude or do not want to be at work, the casino's guests will immediately know it. "Guests pick up on attitudes very quickly," Baird says. "It's not easy to enjoy yourself when those around you have a negative outlook. Guests will not go to a casino that isn't fun."

Number 2: Before starting an employee incentive and recognition program, determine what behaviors you're look for from your staff. "Make this decision first so you know which behaviors to reward," Baird suggests. "Smiling certainly projects a positive attitude. What else do you want to reward?"

Number 3: Assign an unbiased, third party to observe and decide whether employees are performing the way you want them to. "A third party has no stake in the outcome and that results in fair treatment of all employees," Baird says. "If bias intrudes, your program will fail."

Number 4: Decide what the rewards will be. Baird says studies show that a tangible gift is preferred over cash. "There are plenty of gift companies that can give you ideas," Baird says. "Research them on the Internet. They have hundreds of gifts to choose from."

Number 5: Give the reward as soon as possible after the desired behavior is observed. "Employees may not make the connection if the reward is presented three or four weeks after they did the right thing," Baird notes. "Quick feedback reinforces the desired behavior."

Owned by Lydia and Martin Baird, Robinson & Associates, Inc., is a guest service consulting firm that provides specialty guest service training, management skills training, presentation skills training, team building programs and employee incentive and recognition programs for the gaming industry. The Bairds have a Web site, Casinocustomerservice.com, that's devoted to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and increase revenues. Robinson & Associates may be reached by contacting Lydia at 480-991-6421 or at e-mail protected from spam bots. Robinson & Associates is a member of the Casino Management Association and an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.